THE CORRECT MEANING OF "CHURCH" AND "ECCLESIA" THE CORRECT MEANING OF "CHURCH" AND "ECCLESIA" Let us make it clear from the very beginning that the established religious system, which manifests itself in the abomination called "church", is NOT of God. We intend to make it very clear, by studying the Greek words found in the New Testament, that the pattern which God intends His people to follow and live by is the ECCLESIA system, and is RADICALLY different than that which calls itself "church" in our day. As you read this short study the truth will dawn on you that Christians today have been fed a LIE, and that they have been enslaved by the religious systems of men. If you truly love Jesus and desire to follow Him in total obedience then you must seriously consider the facts that follow. We encourage each and every person who names the name of Christ to PRAY, FAST AND SEEK GOD concerning the important differences between how the first Christians lived and how Christians live today. THE CORRECT MEANING OF "CHURCH" (The following information is from ACMTC Library and BenWilliamsLibrary.com) Let's start by defining the word.

"Church" comes from the Old English and German word pronounced "kirche." In Scotland, it was "kirk." The following entries are from the Oxford Universal English Dictionary: Church [Old English cirice, circe; Middle English chereche, chiriche, chirche; whence churche, cherche, etc.: -Greek Kuriakon...] Kirk The Northern English and Scottish form of CHURCH, in all its senses. In the earlier Greek It was pronounced "ku-ri-a-kos" or "ku-ri-a-kon." As you can see, this word doesn't even resemble the Greek word "ecclesia" whose place it has usurped. The meaning of "Ku-ri-a-kos" is understood by its root: "Ku- ri-os," which means "lord." Thus, "kuriakos" (i.e., "church") means "pertaining to the lord." It refers to something that pertains to, or belongs to, a lord.

The Greek "kuriakos" eventually came to be used in Old English form as "cirice" (Kee-ree-ke), then "churche" (kerke), and eventually "church" in its traditional pronunciation. A church, then, is correctly something that "pertains to, or belongs to, a lord." Now, as you can see, there is a major problem here. The translators broke the rules in a big way. When they inserted the word "church" in the English versions, they were not translating the Greek word "kuriakos", as one might expect. Rather, they were substituting an entirely different Greek word. This was not honest! The word "church" would have been an acceptable translation for the Greek word "kuriakos." However, not by the wildest imagination of the most liberal translator can it ever be an acceptable translation for the Greek word "ecclesia." Are you following this? Consider it carefully. This truth will answer many questions you've had about churches, and the kingdom.

"Ecclesia" is an entirely different word with an entirely different meaning than "kuriakos." In fact, the Greek word "kuriakos" appears in the New Testament only twice. It is found once in I Corinthians 11:20 where it refers to "the Lord's supper," and once again in Revelation 1:10 where it refers to "the Lord's day." In both of those cases, it is translated "the Lord's..." - not "church." This word does not appear again in the New Testament. Nonetheless, this is the unlikely and strange history of the word "church" as it came to the English language. Eventually, through the manipulation of organized religion "church" came to replace "ecclesia" by popular acceptance. Again, we must emphasize the importance of knowing word meanings in order to know the intent of those who wrote the Scriptures. THE CORRECT MEANING OF "ECCLESIA" Now, let's look at the word, "ecclesia". This Greek word appears in the New Testament approximately 115 times. That's just in this one grammatical form. It appears also in other forms.

And in every instance, except three, it is wrongly translated as "church" in the King James Version. Those three exceptions are found in Acts 19:32, 39, 41. In these instances the translators rendered it "assembly" instead of "church." But, the Greek word is exactly the same as the other 112 entries where it was changed to "church" wrongly. In Acts 19, "ecclesia" is a town council: a civil body in Ephesus. Thus, the translators were forced to abandon their fake translation in these three instances. Nonetheless, 112 times they changed it to "church." This fact has been covered-up under centuries of misuse and ignorance. The Greek word "ecclesia" is correctly defined as: "The called-out (ones)" [ECC = out; KALEO = call]. Thus, you can see how this word was used to indicate a civil body of select (called, elected) people. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: In the New Testament, "ecclesia" (signifying convocation) is the only single word used for church.

It (ecclesia) was the name given to the governmental assembly of the city of Athens, duly convoked (called out) by proper officers and possessing all political power including even juridical functions. Obviously, in Greece an ecclesia had no resemblance to a church. An "ecclesia" was a civil assembly in Athens even before the writing of the New Testament. In the Oxford Universal English Dictionary (considered the standard for the English language) the word "ecclesia" is listed in its English form as used by our English forefathers. (Nowadays, only forms of the word appear - like, "ecclesiastical"). Quoting from the Oxford Universal English Dictionary on the word "ecclesia": Ecclesia [mediaeval Latin, and Greek - from : SUMMONED] -A regularly convoked assembly, especially the general assembly of Athenians. Later, the regular word for church. Thus, two of the most prestigious word resources in the English language confirm the fact that an "ecclesia" was originally a select civil body, summoned or convoked for a particular purpose. What, then, did the writers of the New Testament mean when they used the word "ecclesia" to describe a Christian body of people?

We can assume that they intended to convey the original Greek meaning of the word: a body of Christians called out of the Roman and Judean system to come together into a separate civil community. It meant a politically autonomous body of Christians under no king but Jesus; under no other jurisdiction but that of Jesus. No man ruled them! Only Christ. And that was the reason these same Christians ran into trouble with kings and rulers; were arrested, crucified and martyred. They dropped Caesar as their King and took up Christ. In Acts 17, verses 1-6 we see that Paul and Silas had a reputation that preceded them. They were "turning the world (system) upside down." What was their inflaming message? Were they telling the people to find a minister and support him; go to church every weekend; be nice to their neighbors? Could this have been the message that set the city fathers against them? Or maybe they were asking people to send their tithes to them so they could build a nice church or develop a Christian recreation center? No? What then? What were these guys doing that was "turning the world system upside down"?

The answer is found in verse 7: "Whom Jason hath received (into his house): and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." Now is that clear? Do you see what they were doing? They were announcing ANOTHER KING! Not Caesar! This was a king who was bigger than Caesar. They were forming civil bodies that no longer looked to Caesar as their king. They were forming civil outposts for Christ's conquering army! They were at war! Paul and Silas weren't "church builders" like preachers today claim. They weren't proselytizing people from one church or synagogue to another. They were kingdom builders! They were dethroning rulers in the minds of the people and alienating them from the mental hold Caesar had upon them through heathenistic (central) government. They were teaching the principles of Christian government. They were putting forth the call of God to whomever would hear and obey, and those whose hearts responded to the call became citizens of Christ's kingdom and joined themselves to the ecclesia, or community of believers.

CHURCH AND STATE DESTROY LIBERTY The Oxford Dictionary also has an interesting entry under "congregation": ...used by Tyndale* as a translation of 'ecclesia' in the New Testament, and by the sixteenth century reformers instead of "church." (*William Tyndale was the fifteenth century reformer and Bible translator murdered by the church) Tyndale was willing to die for God's word and truth. He didn't like the word "church." Instead, he used the word "congregation." Now that tells us something! Godly Tyndale, and other sixteenth-century reformers who were more reputable, did not like the word "church." They used other words like "congregation," "governmental assembly," etc. When you consider the fact that an "ecclesia" was "a civil body politic", this is strong proof that the Christian ecclesias we read about in the New Testament were independent civil bodies of Christians -independent from worldly kings and governors, ruled by the Theocratic government of God's Spirit. They wanted freedom to serve King Jesus. They weren't building and attending churches! Please understand!

The pattern laid down in the New Testament bears no resemblence to what we know today as "church". God's people are meant to live by the ecclesia pattern -together in communities, holding all things common, under the government of God through His anointed leaders. Quit saying "church" when it is supposed to be "ecclesia"! It's an important step in retrieving your brain from the trap of religious confusion. CHRISTIAN CIVIL BODY Independent self-government under Christ! That is what the ecclesia represents - not a religious organization for meeting on weekends. The Bible does not indicate that churches would eventually take the place of ecclesias. The change of words was not sanctioned by Scripture. There is NO Scriptural authority for Christians to build churches, attend churches, or support churches! Churches are ungodly organizations designed for and by the heathen. We should be forming and defending ecclesias instead of the disgusting churches with their con games, entertainment, cultic mystery, childishness, and heathenistic worldly nonsense. We once used the word "church" to describe ourselves, but no more thank God. We're doing our best to break that image.

It's a slow process, but we're putting the old church ways behind us. THE IDOLATRY MUST STOP If you profess to follow Christ, then it's time you quit voluntarily feeding the anti-Christ beast. Men who want to sincerely follow Christ must wean themselves from worldly governments and churches. It is the height of absurdity for a Christian to attend and support the very institutions which are destroying his relationship with God. Those who voluntarily support man-made religious church systems, by believing and teaching that they are good in any way, or that they help us, or that we need them, are still living in a dream world of deception. The ecclesia system, with it's Theocratic government and individual responsibility, is capable of freeing us from the bodage of religion. True peace and liberty cannot be found outside of Christ. Christ's system is the ecclesia system. Freedom awaits all those who will break away from the religious slavery of church and become a humble bondslave of Jesus Christ. We must stop idolizing men in their religious hypocrisy and let Christ once and for all be our King! So, there is really no other choice for those who would truly follow the pattern laid down for us in God's Word.

We must do the same thing the apostles did. We must form ourselves into actual communities under the guidance of God's anointed and appointed leaders, called out and separated from the world, with none other than Jesus Christ as our ruler and King. In other words, ECCLESIAS! As a whole, Christians have departed from the pattern laid down in the book of Acts and have built, according to their own wisdom, an artificial, phony, putrifying religious mess called "church". It's time to REVOLT against the wisdom of our religious flesh and get back to the wisdom of God. It's time to re-evaluate and re-examine everything about how you think the true followers of Jesus should live. It's time for REVOLUTION against DEAD RELIGION! We are determined to change the way the world thinks about how true followers of Jesus should live. We have been following the ecclesia pattern for over 10 years and have seen the blessings and power of God every step of the way. God does miracles for those who are willing to sacrifce ALL. Write for more information about how you can join us in the struggle to bring back the truth of the ecclesia. We would like to hear from you!

To request literature or more information about us or our community please E-mail us: Church | Define Church at Dictionary.com church a building for public Christian worship. 2. public worship of God or a religious service in such a building: to attend church regularly. (sometimes initial capital letter) the whole body of Christian believers; Christendom. 4. (sometimes initial capital letter) any division of this body professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a Christian denomination: the Methodist Church. 5. that part of the whole Christian body, or of a particular denomination, belonging to the same city, country, nation, etc. 6. a body of Christians worshipping in a particular building or constituting one congregation: She is a member of this church. 7. ecclesiastical organization, power, and affairs, as distinguished from the state: separation of church and state; The missionary went wherever the church sent him. 8. the clergy and religious officials of a Christian denomination. 9. a return of intellectuals to the church. 10. (initial capital letter) the Christian Church before the Reformation. 11. (initial capital letter) the Roman Catholic Church. 12.

the clerical profession or calling: After much study and contemplation, he was prepared to enter the church. 13. a place of public worship of a non-Christian religion. 14. any non-Christian religious society, organization, or congregation: the Jewish church. to conduct or bring to church, especially for special services. 16. South Midland and Southern U.S. to subject to church discipline. 17. to perform a church service of thanksgiving for (a woman after childbirth). Origin of church Greek 900 before 900; Middle English chir(i)che, Old English cir(i)ce ≪ Greek kȳri(a)kón (dôma) the Lord's (house), neuter of kȳriakós of the master, equivalent to kȳ́ri(os) master (kŷr(os) power + -ios noun suffix) + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic ; akin to Dutch kerk, German Kirche, Old Norse kirkja. See kirk Related forms Frederick Edwin, 1826–1900, U.S. painter.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for church Expand Contemporary Examples The U.S. embassy to the Holy See, on the other hand, has a distinct role in church affairs. Captain Blood Rafael Sabatini Or her, whose life the church and scandal share, For ever in a passion, or a prayer. Still Jim Honor Willsie Morrow The thought of the unity of the church is very prominent in this epistle. British Dictionary definitions for church Expand a building designed for public forms of worship, esp Christian worship 2. an occasion of public worship 3. the clergy as distinguished from the laity 4. (usually capital) institutionalized forms of religion as a political or social force: conflict between Church and State 5. (usually capital) the collective body of all Christians 6. (often capital) a particular Christian denomination or group of Christian believers 7. (often capital) the Christian religion 8. (in Britain) the practices or doctrines of the Church of England and similar denominations Compare chapel (sense 4b) related adjective ecclesiastical verb (transitive) 9. (Church of England) to bring (someone, esp a woman after childbirth) to church for special ceremonies 10.

(US) to impose church discipline upon Word Origin Old English cirice, from Late Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon (dōma) the Lord's (house), from kuriakos of the master, from kurios master, from kuros power Church noun 1. Charlotte. born 1986, Welsh soprano, who made her name with the album Voice of an Angel (1998) when she was 12 Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for church Expand n. Old English cirice, circe "church, public place of worship; Christians collectively," from West Germanic *kirika (cf.

Old Saxon kirika, Old Norse kirkja, Old Frisian zerke, Middle Dutch kerke, Dutch kerk, Old High German kirihha, German Kirche), probably [see note in OED] from Greek kyriake (oikia), kyriakon doma "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord," from PIE root *keue- "to swell" ("swollen," hence "strong, powerful"); see cumulus . Phonetic spelling from c.1200, established by 16c. For vowel evolution, see bury . As an adjective from 1570s. Greek kyriakon (adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it probably was used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period. Also picked up by Slavic, probably via Germanic (e.g. Old Church Slavonic criky, Russian cerkov).

Finnish kirkko, Estonian kirrik are from Scandinavian. Romance and Celtic languages use variants of Latin ecclesia (e.g. French église, 11c.). Church-bell was in late Old English. Church-goer is from 1680s. Church key is early 14c.; slang use for "can or bottle opener" is by 1954, probably originally U.S. college student slang. Church-mouse, proverbial in many languages for its poverty, is 1731 in English. v. "to bring or lead to church," mid-14c., from church (n.). Related: Churched. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Expand church definition A group of Christians ; church is a biblical word for “assembly.” It can mean any of the following: (1) All Christians, living and dead. (See saints .) (2) All Christians living in the world. (3) One of the large divisions or denominations of Christianity , such as the Eastern Orthodox Church , Methodist Church, or Roman Catholic Church . (4) An individual congregation of Christians meeting in one building; also the building itself.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. church in the Bible Expand Derived probably from the Greek kuriakon (i.e., "the Lord's house"), which was used by ancient authors for the place of worship. In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia, which is synonymous with the Hebrew _kahal_ of the Old Testament, both words meaning simply an assembly, the character of which can only be known from the connection in which the word is found. There is no clear instance of its being used for a place of meeting or of worship, although in post-apostolic times it early received this meaning. Nor is this word ever used to denote the inhabitants of a country united in the same profession, as when we say the "Church of England," the "Church of Scotland," etc. We find the word ecclesia used in the following senses in the New Testament: (1.) It is translated "assembly" in the ordinary classical sense (Acts 19:32, 39, 41).

(2.) It denotes the whole body of the redeemed, all those whom the Father has given to Christ, the invisible catholic church (Eph. 5:23, 25, 27, 29; Heb. 12:23). (3.) A few Christians associated together in observing the ordinances of the gospel are an ecclesia (Rom. 16:5; Col. 4:15). (4.) All the Christians in a particular city, whether they assembled together in one place or in several places for religious worship, were an ecclesia. Thus all the disciples in Antioch, forming several congregations, were one church (Acts 13:1); so also we read of the "church of God at Corinth" (1 Cor. 1:2), "the church at Jerusalem" (Acts 8:1), "the church of Ephesus" (Rev. 2:1), etc. (5.) The whole body of professing Christians throughout the world (1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Matt. 16:18) are the church of Christ.

The church visible "consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children." It is called "visible" because its members are known and its assemblies are public. Here there is a mixture of "wheat and chaff," of saints and sinners. "God has commanded his people to organize themselves into distinct visible ecclesiastical communities, with constitutions, laws, and officers, badges, ordinances, and discipline, for the great purpose of giving visibility to his kingdom, of making known the gospel of that kingdom, and of gathering in all its elect subjects. Each one of these distinct organized communities which is faithful to the great King is an integral part of the visible church, and all together constitute the catholic or universal visible church." A credible profession of the true religion constitutes a person a member of this church. This is "the kingdom of heaven," whose character and progress are set forth in the parables recorded in Matt. 13. The children of all who thus profess the true religion are members of the visible church along with their parents. Children are included in every covenant God ever made with man. They go along with their parents (Gen.

9:9-17; 12:1-3; 17:7; Ex. 20:5; Deut. 29:10-13). Peter, on the day of Pentecost, at the beginning of the New Testament dispensation, announces the same great principle. "The promise [just as to Abraham and his seed the promises were made] is unto you, and to your children" (Acts 2:38, 39). The children of believing parents are "holy", i.e., are "saints", a title which designates the members of the Christian church (1 Cor. 7:14). (See BAPTISM .) The church invisible "consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ, the head thereof." This is a pure society, the church in which Christ dwells. It is the body of Christ. it is called "invisible" because the greater part of those who constitute it are already in heaven or are yet unborn, and also because its members still on earth cannot certainly be distinguished. The qualifications of membership in it are internal and are hidden.

It is unseen except by Him who "searches the heart." "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Tim. 2:19). The church to which the attributes, prerogatives, and promises appertaining to Christ's kingdom belong, is a spiritual body consisting of all true believers, i.e., the church invisible. (1.) Its unity. God has ever had only one church on earth. We sometimes speak of the Old Testament Church and of the New Testament church, but they are one and the same. The Old Testament church was not to be changed but enlarged (Isa. 49:13-23; 60:1-14). When the Jews are at length restored, they will not enter a new church, but will be grafted again into "their own olive tree" (Rom. 11:18-24; comp. Eph. 2:11-22). The apostles did not set up a new organization. Under their ministry disciples were "added" to the "church" already existing (Acts 2:47). (2.) Its universality.

It is the "catholic" church; not confined to any particular country or outward organization, but comprehending all believers throughout the whole world. (3.) Its perpetuity. It will continue through all ages to the end of the world. It can never be destroyed. It is an "everlasting kindgdom." Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary Idioms and Phrases with church Expand The Mysterious Word "Church" | Bein' a Berean The Mysterious Word "Church" Tweet The word "church" in our Bibles has alarming roots. Why did the translators use it? There are two main approaches to producing an English version of the Bible from the original languages, which, in the case of the New Testament, was Greek. The most common approach is translation and the other is transliteration. Transliteration is the practice of replacing the Greek letters of a word with English letters to form a new word with a distinctive meaning.

This approach was used in select places with the word "baptize." The English letters of the original Greek word baptizo, means "to dip or sink." When Jesus dipped a morsel of bread and gave it to Judas in John 13:26 , this is the word baptizo. The scholars chose to transliterate this word, rather than translate, to avoid conflict with those branches of Christianity who's approaches to baptism did not involve "dipping." Translating, the practice of replacing Greek words with English words of similar meaning or intent is the most common practice. Our interest is in the English word for "church," which replaces the Greek word ekklesia. In Acts 19:25-41 , we have an example of the real meaning of ekklesia; the people of Ephesus gathered to deal with Paul's alleged preaching against their god, Artemis of the Ephesians. So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. After saying this he dismissed the assembly.

Acts 19:32 , 39 , 41 (NASB) In each of these cases, ekklesia is correctly translated "assembly" since it means "citizens called to be a governing assembly." In Acts 7:38 and Hebrews 2:12 , ekklesia is translated as congregation, also a good interpretation. The rest of the one hundred fourteen times that ekklesia is used in the NT, it has been replaced with "church" or "churches"—replaced, because the word "church" is neither a translation nor a transliteration of the original word. Someone chose to use "church" rather than the meaning of the Greek word or its letters. Here begins the mystery. OLD ENGLISH BIBLES RENDITIONS OF MATTHEW 16:18 John Wyclife, of Yorkshire, England, translated the first Bible into English in 1382, not from the original languages, but from the Latin.

Therein, John translated the Latin word ecclesiam into chirche (in old English spelling): And Y seie to thee, that thou art Petre, and on this stoon Y schal bilde my chirche, and the yatis of helle schulen not haue miyt ayens it. (Wyclife, c1382) The Latin word is similar to the Greek, but because he did not know Greek, he may have used what was commonly called a religious gathering in his day. More on this later. Other English translations that followed were: * Tyndale's Bible (1526) - used "congregation": And I saye also vnto the that thou arte Peter: and apon this rocke I wyll bylde my congregacion. And the gates of hell shall not prevayle ageynst it.

(Tyndale, c1526) * Coverdale Bible (1535) - used "congregation" * Matthew Bible (1537) - used "congregation" * The Great Bible (1539) - used "congregation" * Geneva Bible (1560) - used "church" And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church: and ye gates of hell shall not ouercome it. (Geneva Bible, c1560) * Bishop's Bible (1568) - used "congregation": And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vponn this rocke I wyll buylde my congregation: And the gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it. (Bishop Bible, c1568) The word "congregation," in place of ekklesia, is a good translation since "congregation" means "to gather a flock" and refers to people, not places or institutions.

GOING IN CIRCLES Wyclife's word chirche, or as we spell it today, "church", has some interesting twists to its meaning. According to modern dictionaries, such as the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word "church" is derived from a Greek word meaning house of the Lord: [Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Medieval Greek kurikon, from Late Greek kuriakon (doma), the Lord's (house), from Greek kuriakos, of the lord, from kurios, lord.]1 This in itself is a poor derivative since it refers to a place (a house) rather than to people, as Jesus intended. Many older sources on etymology doubt this Greek connection. In Smith's Bible Dictionary from 1884, page 452, we read: "the derivation of the word 'church' is uncertain. It is found in the Teutonic and Slavonic languages and answers to the derivatives of ekklesia, which are naturally found in the romance languages and by foreign importation elsewhere. The word is generally said to be derived from the Greek kyriakos, meaning the lord's house.

But the derivation has been too hastily assumed. It is probably associated with the Scottish kirk, the Latin circus/circulous, the Greek klukos, because the congregations were gathered in circles." Lidellan's Scott's Greek English Lexicon also tells us that the origin of our word "church" is uncertain. On defining the word klukos, from which church allegedly came, it says: "Of or for a lord or master (speaking of a secular lord). Assumed to be original of the Teutonic kirk, kirche, or church, but how this Greek name came to be adopted by the northern nations rather than the Roman name or Greek name ekklesia has not been satisfactorily explained." Regarding the word "church", Ebenezer Cobham Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable of 1898 reads: "The etymology of this word is generally assumed to be from the Greek, Kuriou oikos (house of God); but this is most improbable, as the word existed in all the Celtic dialects long before the introduction of Greek. No doubt the word means "a circle." The places of worship among the German and Celtic nations were always circular.

(Welsh, cyrch, French, cirque; Scotch, kirk; Greek, kirk-os, etc.) Compare Anglo-Saxon circe, a church, with circol, a circle." (emphasis mine) If "church" is derived from the word "circle," how then did the original Greek word ekklesia become "church" or "circle?" Throughout England, pagan religious gatherings were always held at a circle. The Druids with their Stonehenge, the Celts, and Saxons also met at stone circles, to worship their gods. Many of these stone circles still exist throughout England and about twenty eight are found in the Wyclife's Yorkshire area. Many of the first English Christian buildings for worship were located on these circle sites or were built using stones from these circles. Through this association, the people of Wyclife's day continued to call these buildings a "kirk"(Scottish), a cirice (Old English), or chirche (Wyclife's version), each variation meaning "circle" and describing a place-occult-and not the people.

Although we can see Wyclife's rationale for using the word "church" or "circle" as common English in his day, it was not suitable then or now, since it does not meet the meaning or intent of the original word—a reference to people. Because "church" or "circle" describes a place, the real meaning of ekklesia is lost. The better translation, "congregation", was used by most other translations after Wyclife, except the Geneva Bible and the one authorized by King James—the later being the foundation of our modern versions. THE KING JAMES VERSION The story gets interesting when King James I of England, or Queen James as he was often referred to because of homosexual lifestyle, decided to authorize his own translation of the Bible in 1611. The other versions fell to his disfavour because their footnotes failed to honour the King. To correct this, he gathered fifty-four scholars and gave them fifteen edicts to follow as they translated and published his Authorized Version. The first edict was that they use the Bishop's Bible (which used "congregation") with as few changes as possible.

The third edict specified that, in select places, they were to use the word "church," and not "congregation," in place of ekklesia. His fourteenth edict stated that they could use the Tyndale, Matthew, Coverdale, the Great Bible (also called the Whitchurch, Cranmer, and Cromwell Bible), and the Geneva versions of the Bible wherever they were closer to their accessible manuscripts. The King's influence is also seen where the names of the apostle and brother for Jesus were translated as "James" rather than Jacob (Iakobos) Why would the King be so adamant about using a word, "church", that he knew to mean circle rather than using the correct translation? What do we know about this King? One detail of his life that history books do not often discuss occurred before he became King James I of England—while he was James VI, King of Scotland. "On the west wall of the lodgehall used by Lodge Scoon and Perth No. 3 in Perth, Scotland, can be found a mural depicting James VI kneeling at their altar at his initiation.

The oldest existing record of the Lodge, called The Mutual Agreement" of 24 December, 1658, records that James was "entered Freemasonry as a Fellowcraft of the Lodge of Scoon" on 15 April, 1601."2 On April 15, 1601, King James entered the secretive society of the Freemasons. In fact, Masons credit him as being the originator of the worldwide system of lodges within Freemasonry. His version of the Bible became, and still is, their favoured version. One of the most important symbols in Freemasonry is a circle with a dot in the center—part of their motif-the shape that is drawn by the compass. SYMBOLS OF NOTE Throughout Europe and England, the circle was a significant occult symbol and remains so today. It connotes inclusion or influence, as does that of being surrounded. Many good symbols such as the five-pointed star and the six-pointed Star of David become the occult pentagram, pentacles, and the hexagram when encircled, and each is used with prominence in Freemasonry and Witchcraft. Does a circle surrounding these and other symbols place them under the influence of occult powers?

Adherents of the occult believe symbols have power and influence, and especially so when those carrying or connected to the symbol are not aware of it. Would the expression "Ignorance of the law is no excuse" apply to spiritual concerns too? Does ignorance of the law of gravity excuse us of its influence? Recently, I had occasion to pray with an individual whom Jesus was calling out of a high position within the occult. During our prayers, she asked if we could use a word other than "church" as we prayed. That startled me and when I asked, her reason was that what we refer to as occult covens are referred to as churches by those within occult circles. She wanted to be clear that her prayers referred to the Body of Christ and not to occult churches/covens/circles. Why do occult organizations such as the Church of Illumination, Church of Scientology, Church of Wicca, Church of Satan, and others embrace the word "church" in their identity? Do they better understand its true meaning and significance? Could it be that we are naive?

TRUTH SETS FREE Since the word "church" has no foundation in truth, we would be wise to move away from its use in our Bibles, writings, and speech, replacing it with terms such as "those people I call", "governing assembly", "congregation", or similarly suitable translations, more directly referring to God's people rather than to a place. Even our meeting places would do well with a change away from meeting in "the circle" to our "gathering place", "place of assembly", or "worship center." Compare Jesus' words in the verses that follow, and see the richness of the real meaning. I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matt 16:18 NASB) In Jesus' day, walls encircled cities and access was by way of the gates. Was Jesus thinking of Samson? In their plan to capture and then take Samson's life the Philistines locked him in the city of Gaza3 but he tore the gates from its hinges and carrying them to the top of a nearby hill.

When Jesus calls the citizens of his kingdom to a governing assembly, the confines of the realm of the evil spirits (Hades) that encircle us will not be able to hold us when we determine to break free of its bondage. I will edify the people I've assembled to govern; and the gates of the realm of the evil spirits will not be strong enough to keep them confined. (my rendition of 16:18). This has a richer, more personal meaning than does the use and understanding of the word "church" today. Are we like Samson when Jesus edifies and empowers us? Building a "church" or rather "people assembled to govern" is Jesus' work; ours is to promote the kingdom, God's kingdom, not our little local versions. It's about people, not institutions! BREAK FREE Jesus called out or assembled twelve ordinary people and spent three years teaching them about the kingdom of God. Then they turned the known world upside down in 300 years—teaching and being witnesses of Jesus, with signs and wonders.

Looking back to the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Vineyard, Salvation Army, Methodist, and other movements, why did their initial revival, renewal, and uniqueness dissolve into the same basic powerless style and function as that of the mainline churches? By ineffective style and function, I refer to the process wherein people, participating for even thirty or forty years, are ill—equipped to share the joy and privileges of the gospel message with their neighbors, or to exhibit the qualities of Jesus' life. When we unknowingly identify ourselves with the occult symbol of the circle, through our association with the word "church," do we also place ourselves under the rule and authority of occult principalities and powers as mentioned in Ephesians 6? Are these principalities and powers responsible to see that we remain ineffective by pressing or subjugating us into a common and powerless style and function? Are the words we use important? In the following verse, Jesus suggests they are important. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

(Matt 12:36-37 NASB) George Barna writes, "The church seems afraid to invest in new modes of being the church, breaking free from antiquated models and irrelevant traditions toward living the gospel in a twenty-first-century context."5 Is it fear, as he suggests, or is it a bondage to the confines of the circle? I will leave you to answer that question. CONCLUSIONS The word "church" has no foundation in scripture, being a transferred word and not an interpretation or transliteration. We should consider that there might be negative spiritual ramifications resulting from our identification with this word. Aside from that, the Gospel is not places, buildings, or circles; rather, it is about unique, individual, and precious people. The Samaritan woman at the well changed the course of her discussion with Jesus to places of worship. Jesus turned that discussion toward people who would worship in spirit and in truth.6 Jesus pointed out that people are important, not places, when he spoke to her. Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:21-24) Jesus demonstrated an interest in the people, his sheep. He led them, taught them, healed them, and then sent them out to do the same. He was not interested in larger stalls or larger flocks but that they would be equipped to go out to do as he did, and so to every nation. Ekklesia is about calling out and equipping people, not institutions! This word "church" is so very entrenched in Christianity. While I continue with great effort to remove it from my vocabulary I've chosen, in the interim, to set this word apart, to redefine it, for my use as Israel did with the vessels of gold used in the temple.

Consider this prayer: Our Father, the Most High God, as and where I use the word "church" please redeem it from every occult connection and association with the word and symbol of the "circle," Remove from my use of this word every original ungodly and unrighteous intent as a replacement for the Greek word "ekklesia," and its meaning—those people assembled by Jesus Christ to govern. I command a blessing on my use of this word "church" as it is used to describe the various local congregations of people redeemed by the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus of Nazaeth, in whose name we assemble to govern. We also ask that you would use the word "church" to draw to Jesus those who had intend evil upon this word. I also ask that you help me, in time, to replace this word with more accurate words such as "congregation" or "assembly" and referring to people in my regular speech. In all this, may you be glorified. Amen Footnotes 1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright© 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc.

All rights reserved. 2. D. Crawford Smith and William James Hughan, History of the Ancient Masonic Lodge of Scoon and Perth (Number 3, The Lodge of Scone) Perth: Cowan and Company, Limited, 1898. ( 3. Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, The Hiram Key, Arrow Books, London, England, pg. 426 4. Judges 16 Vestments Glossary Alb An alb, called a sticharion in Orthodox churches, is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length tunic with long sleeves. It is generally worn with a rope cincture around the waist. The word alb is short for the Latin phrase tunica alba, which means white tunic; accordingly, albs are usually made of white or undyed fabric. In the first century, the tunic was the first article of clothing that you put on in the morning. Working-class people wore knee-length tunics, while older people and people with less active occupations wore ankle-length tunics. It was possible to wear more than one tunic at a time for warmth, but it was considered gauche to wear a tunic without a cincture.

The tunic was originally sleeveless. Greeks and Romans thought sleeves were barbaric because barbarians wore them. (The barbarians lived in colder climates.) Tunics did not acquire sleeves until the third century, when a Roman Emperor came back from a military campaign wearing a tunic with sleeves—much to the horror of the fashion mavens of the day. A modern alb has sleeves because we need to cover street clothing that has sleeves. In the first century, most people wore a himation over their tunics. The himation was a rectangular garment that was wrapped around the upper body. The designs on the himation, as well as its color and quality, varied depending on the wearer’s sex, occupation, and social status. Because of the relatively precarious way it was worn and the way it hindered movement, people had to remove it when they were engaged in certain physical activities. For example, when blind Bartimaeus ran to Jesus in Mark 10:46-52, he threw off his himation. Matthew 9:20-22 tells about a woman who was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus’ himation.

In Revelation 3:5, 3:18, and 4:4 people are given white himatia. Perhaps the writer of Revelation wanted us to think of people who had received a white tunic at their baptism now receiving an elegant and triumphant white himation to wear over it. The himation never became a church vestment, probably because as servants, the clergy would have to remove it anyway. Scripture tells us that Jesus wore a himation over a tunic (‘tunic’ is χιτων in Greek) to the crucifixion. The soldiers tore the himation in four pieces, but because the tunic was woven in one piece, they cast lots for it. Jesus’ tunic would have been sleeveless and ankle-length—it was the same kind of tunic that the high priest wore when he entered into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. Ancient writings from that period refer to seamless tunics, but the technology for weaving them that way was lost in the fall of the Roman Empire. In the first four centuries of the Church, people were baptized in the nude.

For propriety, they were baptized in three groups: men, women, and children; and female deacons baptized the women. When they emerged from the water, they were immediately clothed in a white tunic (a tunica alba, or alb ). For this reason, the alb is a reminder of baptism and a symbol of the resurrection on the Last Day. Anyone who has a leadership role in worship can wear an alb and cincture, whether they are clergy or lay people. Only clergy wear a stole over the alb. Albs are increasing in popularity not only because they are ecumenical, but also because congregations are increasingly eager to conform to the practices of the ancient Church. In addition, a person wearing an alb is dressed like Jesus. You can see a larger picture of an alb . Amice An amice is a rectangular piece of cloth with religious symbols and two cords, one affixed to each front corner. It originated as a neck scarf, which was still its form and function in the first century. People sometimes also pulled it up to use it as a head covering. It became a vestment in the eighth century. Today, it is mainly in use in the Roman Catholic Church.

When the priest is vesting (that is, putting on vestments), the amice goes on first. He puts the amice on his head, like a bonnet, then his alb . He pulls the cords around his torso, so they cross in the back, and ties them in the front. After he puts his chasuble on, he pulls the amice down around his neck so that it looks like a collar or a muffler. Like all vestments, the amice has symbolic meaning as well as practical value. While it is temporarily on the priest's head, it symbolizes the helmut of salvation (Ephesians 6:17), and after it is pulled down, it symbolizes the burden he bears. Before Dr. John Breck invented Ph-balanced shampoo in the 1930s, people didn’t wash their hair very often, because washing your hair with soap doesn't produce happy results. As late as the 1950s, there were hair tonics and hair creams that made hair look fashionably greasy. Since the amice covers the priest’s hair while he is putting on his chasuble, it protects the chasuble from grease and hair-care products.

After he pulls it down onto his shoulders, it serves as a neck scarf to protect his throat from the cold. An amice is also known as a superhumeral, meaning “over the shoulders.” Anglican Collar Cassock A cassock is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length garment with long sleeves, but no hood. The cassock is a clerical, not a vestment. It serves as an undergarment for vestments, namely the surplice (a type of alb ) and the stole . If the cassock has buttons down the center of the front, from the neck to the ankles, it is called a Roman cassock. If it is double-breasted, it is called an Anglican cassock. Cassocks are worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders, with or without a surplice. Only ordained clergy wear a stole over the surplice. Cassocks are most common in Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox churches. The cassock-and-surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches. Some choirs wear cassocks with surplices instead of robes.

Chasuble A chasuble, called a phelonion in Orthodox churches today, and a φελονης in 2 Timothy 4:13, is an ornate circular garment with a hole in the center for the wearer’s head. When worn, it reaches to the wearer’s wrists, so that if the wearer holds both arms straight out, the chasuble forms a semi-circle when viewed from the front or the back. The chasuble is the descendant of a first-century paenula that was worn as a coat by both sexes. Today it connotes solemnity and formality. The chasuble can be worn by the celebrant during a Eucharistic service. Sometimes the celebrant puts the chasuble on over other vestments as part of the Eucharistic ceremony. Chasubles are used in Lutheran churches, particularly outside the United States, as well as in Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. From the customs of the day, we can infer that Jesus most likely wore a chasuble at the Last Supper. The chasuble is always worn with a stole . Generally, the stole is under the chasuble.

For us, the stole and chasuble combination is the equivalent of wearing a necktie and jacket. It is not appropriate to wear a chasuble in a service that does not include Communion (except for Good Friday and Holy Saturday services). The Roman Empire had two modes of execution: non-citizens were thrown to wild animals, but citizens were beheaded with the sword. Therefore when Paul says that he escaped the lion’s mouth in 2 Timothy 4:17, he means he had successfully proved his Roman citizenship. In 2 Timothy 4:13, most translations vaguely refer to a garment or a cloak, but in the Greek, Paul asks Timothy to bring him the chasuble he had left behind in Troas. The design of Paul’s chasuble would have made his status as a Roman citizen obvious to any witnesses to his execution. Therefore, when the celebrant is dressed in a chasuble, he is dressed like a Christian martyr who is ready to have his head chopped off for Christ, or like Jesus presiding over the Last Supper. Christus victor Christus victor is Latin for Christ the Winner.

It is similar to a crucifix , in that it consists of a figurine of Jesus imposed upon a cross, except that the figure of Jesus is fully clothed, usually wearing a red chasuble over a white tunic (that is, an alb ), with uplifted and outstretched arms and a triumphant facial expression. It depicts the triumph of the Ascension over the suffering of the Crucifixion. Cincture A cincture, called a poias in Orthodox churches, is anything worn around the waist to gather or hold up clothing. Vestments often include cinctures made of cloth or rope. When a cincture is made of leather or plastic, or if it is used with street clothing, it is called a belt. Here’s a tip: If you have a small paunch, and you put the cincture around your waist, it will make you look like you have an enormous beer belly. If you put it at the level of your navel, it will look much better. You can see a picture of a cincture on an alb . Clergy Shirt A clergy shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. There are two types: neckband shirts and tab-collar shirts .

Though many people associate clergy shirts with the Roman Catholic Church, that is only because the their sheer size makes their clergy conspicuous. Clergy shirts (black shirts with white tabs or collars) are actually of Protestant origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) invented the neck-band shirt style. Protestant clergy had been wearing white preaching bands for quite some time; McLeod combined them with the detachable collar that was in use at the time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until later. They modified Rev. McLeod’s design into the tab-collar style. Clerical The term ‘clericals’ refers to the clothing and accessories that clergy wear as street clothes, such as a tab-collar shirt , which make it evident that they are clergy. The difference between clericals and vestments is that clericals are street clothes, while vestments are only worn during worship. Colors You can read information about the colors that are used in worship. Cope A cope is an ornate cape-like garment worn by a bishop. In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a cope to keep warm.

The bishop removes the cope and puts on a chasuble to celebrate the Eucharist. Cotta A cotta is a type of surplice . In general, it is better to forego the cotta and just wear the surplice. Cross (pectoral cross) Many people wear crosses around their necks as jewelry. If the cross is large enough to be seen from a distance and the chain is long enough to position the cross over the center of the chest, it is called a pectoral cross. Pectoral crosses are quite often worn over albs or cassocks, but seldom if ever over robes. While they look quite nice with vestments, they are too dramatic for street clothes. If you want to wear a cross with street clothes, use a small cross on a neck chain. Christians did not wear crosses or hang them on their walls until after crucifixion was no longer the standard method of capital punishment. Instead, the earliest Christians used the gesture of the sign of the cross . You can see a pectoral cross over an alb or over a cassock and surplice .

Cross (sign of the cross) The sign of the cross is a pious gesture that must have originated in the first century, because it was a widespread practice in the second century. It is not a late innovation of the Roman Catholic Church, as many people imagine. It may be that early bishops applied chrism (anointing oil) by tracing a cross on the person’s forehead, and the gesture originated when people wanted to reaffirm their anointing afterwards by using their right thumb to trace the sign of the cross on their forehead. The gesture quickly developed into its modern form, where the right hand moves from the forehead to the chest, then from shoulder to shoulder. Eastern Christians cross themselves right to left, and Western Christians cross themselves left to right. It is customary to cross oneself at the beginning and ending of prayer (at the words “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” ), before receiving Communion, and at certain points in the liturgy. It is common for the clergy to make the sign of the cross over the elements of the Eucharist as they are being consecrated, and over people and objects as they are being blessed.

I always make the sign of the cross over the congregation when I bless them in the benediction at the end of the service. The sign of the cross is also helpful at times when you are moved to pray but at a loss for words. You can find out how to cross yourself . Crucifix A crucifix is a cross with a superimposed figurine. Crucifixes originated before the sixth century, at which time the figurine depicted Jesus symbolically as a lamb. As Christian art gradually began to depict Jesus as a human being rather than as a lamb, the figurine changed from a lamb to a fully dressed triumphant Jesus. The crucifix with a suffering Jesus became very popular in the west during a time when so many people were dying of the plague that disposing of corpses was the most pressing issue for local authorities. In those days of unrelenting grief, suffering, and sorrow, pastors spent most of their time conducting funerals.

(Reread the lyrics of the hymn, Now Thank We All Our God, and ponder the fact that it was written by a pastor who buried dozens of plague victims each day.) Many of the more gruesome crucifixes from that era show Jesus dying from the grotesque final symptoms of the bubonic plague, including the contorted, purple face. Today, in our more comfortable times, such crucifixes strike us as grotesque or horrible, which was of course the point. Crucifixes made sense of all that suffering and dying. They were an important expression of faith that Jesus does not ask us to do anything He is not willing to do, and that He can overcome even the most horrible death. Because the plagues were largely in the west, crucifixes are not as common in Orthodox churches, and because the plagues were largely over by the time of the Protestant Reformation, many Protestants associated them with Roman Catholicism and did not use them; however, they are still common among Anglicans and Lutherans. Dalmatic In the first century, a dalmatic was an garment that the upper classes wore over their tunics.

It is very much like a surplice in shape, except that it is plain and not necessarily white. In the church, it is a garment sometimes worn by deacons . If the deacon is wearing a dalmatic, it can go either over or under the stole , but I think in most cases, it would look better with the stole on top. Dog Collar An Anglican nickname for the collar that accompanies a neckband shirt —it actually does look something like a flea collar, when you think about it! Epitrachilion See thurible . Mitre A mitre is a distinctive hat worn by a bishop. The word mitre comes from the Greek word mitra (μιτρα), which means headband. In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a hat to keep their heads warm. Today the mitre is symbolic of the bishop’s office and it generally matches the bishop’s cope. Neckband Shirt A neckband shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt (or blouse, for female clergy) that has no collar, just has a thin band of cloth around the neck; hence the name.

The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. Where you would expect to find a top button—the one you’d fasten before putting on a necktie—the neckband has two buttonholes that line up. There is also another button hole in the neckband in the center of the back. The wearer puts on the shirt, then sticks a collar stud through the button hole in the back of the neckband, then another collar stud through the buttonholes in the front to fasten the two ends of the neckband together under the throat. The white plastic collar has three small holes in it; one in the middle and one at each end. The wearer slips the center of the collar over the collar stud in the front, then wraps the two ends around the back and slips them over the collar stud in the back. The end effect is a circular collar that goes completely around the neck. Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Church of Scotland invented the neck-band style.

(The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian.) Protestant clergy had been wearing white preaching bands for quite some time; McLeod combined them with the detachable collar that was in use at the time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until later. They modified Rev. McLeod’s design into the tab-collar style. Neckband shirts come in all colors and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black. Phelonion See cincture . Robe Many people use the term robe as a synonym for vestment, but in actual fact, a robe is not a vestment at all. It is a ankle-length gown with long sleeves, designed to be worn without a cincture . There are four types of robes, all of which are modern forms of the academic robes that professors used to wear while on the job in medieval universities. The four types are choir robes, clergy robes, academic gowns, and judicial robes. Only the first three types are worn in church. All types of robes are designed to be worn over street clothing. The only vestment that can be worn over a robe is a stole . Choir robes come in a large variety of styles and colors.

They give the choir a unified appearance. (However, choirs can wear cassocks and surplices instead of robes.) Academic gowns come in three forms corresponding to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. The doctoral robe sometimes appears in church. It has puffy sleeves with three stripes on the forearm, indicating that the wearer possesses a doctoral degree. When they are used in church, academic gowns are most often worn without the square cap or the long, decorative hood down the back that normally complete the outfit. If there is a hood, the colors indicate the wearer’s field of study and alma mater. (You can find out the color code for the fields of study in the United States.) Clergy robes mark clergy who do not have a doctorate degree or who do not choose to wear their doctoral robes. Even though most clergy have a masters degree, clergy robes are a modified form of the baccalaureate robe, probably because contemporary masters robes have an odd appearance. Clergy robes are nearly identical to judicial robes, except that clergy robes often have a sort of built-in stole; a wide stripe running down both sides of the zipper in the front, often with decorated with Christian symbols.

Unlike vestments, robes are not worn by lay leaders. The original purpose of the robe was to indicate that the wearer had the authority of academic credentials. John Calvin started the tradition of wearing academic robes in church. He was not able to wear vestments because he was not ordained clergy, but he did have an academic law degree. For that reason, clergy robes are most common in churches that are in the Reformed tradition, such as Presbyterian churches, and in other groups with Calvinist roots, such as Baptists. Choir robes are nearly universal. People in robes are dressed like Calvin. People in albs are dressed like Jesus. Roman Collar A tab-collar shirt with a narrow, square tab. Soutane See cassock . Skull Cap Occasionally you will see high-ranking Catholic clergy wearing a simple skull cap that looks like a beanie. For instance, the pope wears a white one while cardinals wear red ones. Historically, men who were about to be ordained or received in monastic orders were required to have part of their head shaved. The process was called a tonsure.

The purpose of the tonsure was to comply with 1 Corinthians 11:12-16, because during most of history, it was fashionable for men to have long hair. There are several different types of tonsures, most often it involved shaving the crown of the head. This requirement no longer exists in the Catholic Church, but it still does in Orthodox churches, though in some places the tonsure is minimal. The tonsure caused a problem for higher-ranking clergy, who tend to be elderly, because it exposed their heads to the cold—those old medieval cathedrals were drafty, had no heat, and most often the doors stood open. However, the same passage from Paul implies that men shouldn’t wear head coverings in church. In the middle ages, headgear could be so complex that it was impractical for men to doff their hats, so they shoved them back to show respect. The skull cap solves the impasse. It keeps the head warm without being large enough to cover the whole head.

Sticharion Stole A stole, called a epitrachilion in Orthodox churches, is a long, narrow rectangular garment that is worn around the neck so that it hangs down in front of the wearer’s legs, ending below the knees. The stole merges the functions of two different things. First, ancient government officials wore a stole, just as today a policeman wears a badge. Second, slaves used used to wear work cloth around their necks, for polishing things, and for wiping sweat from their faces. In the church, the stole functions as a badge of office to mark the wearer as ordained clergy. It can also function as a cloth that the celebrant uses to clean the Communionware as part of the service. For those reasons, the stole became a Eucharistic garment. Modern stoles are usually the appropriate color for the season. Only ordained clergy wear a stole. A deacon can also wear a stole, but it is customary for a deacon to wear it over the left shoulder, tied at the waist on the right side, so that the stole hangs diagonally across the chest. A stole can be worn over a robe , an alb , or a cassock .

If an ordained minister combines a cassock, surplice , and stole, the cassock goes on first, then the surplice, then the stole on top. If an ordained minister combines an alb, stole, and chasuble , the alb goes on first, then the stole, then the chasuble on top. (There are stoles that are designed to be worn over chasubles, but that is not common.) If a deacon combines an alb, dalmatic , and stole, the alb goes on first, then the dalmatic, then the stole on top. Surplice A surplice is a very lightweight blouse-like garment with sleeves. It is almost invariably white and it often has lace trim. A surplice is only worn over a cassock , never by itself, and never over an alb or an academic gown . The surplice is actually a type of alb that is designed to be worn over a cassock. The cassock and surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches, where it is worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders.

Question: What is another name for a Scottish church?
Answer: A Kirk